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Thank you all for your wonderful comments on Monday’s post. As I said, I’m working on figuring out my balance with jobs and life and blogging. I had to post today to share my new protein bar recipe. It’s just too good to keep to myself. So why not jump back on the What I Ate Wednesday bandwagon?

[Pre-Workout]
It was 2 for Tuesday yesterday so rather than my usual energy bites, I whipped up a quick protein pancake with 1 scoop protein powder, 1/4 cup egg whites, and 1/4 cup cashew milk and spread a little almond butter on top. While it held me over pretty well for barre, I decided to pop 1/2 banana before I went over to the gym for some cardio.

[Breakfast]
I KNOW I said you don’t need to see another bowl of oatmeal. But this might have just been the best bowl of oatmeal ever. Or maybe I was just so hungry. Yep. Let’s go with the latter.

[Lunch]
I got the hugest bunches of kale and bag of carrots from the farmers’ market on Saturday. I sauteed a bunch of them up with some sugar snaps, turkey meatballs, and buffalo sauce, topped with avocado, quick-pickled beets, and ketchup. Legit. And so filling.

[Afternoon Snack]
HOLY YUM! I’ve been trying to figure out a good recipe to replace my favorite Quest bars and this month’s Recipe ReDux helped to inspire my bars.

Go through your pantry, cupboards, freezer, or fridge; what ‘treasures’ have you found? Pick an ingredient/spice/condiment that’s been hanging out for a while and give it the attention it needs. Share a healthy recipe made using your new-found pantry prize.

We’re pretty much the worst at ever finishing a jar of preserves so why not throw it into a bar? These are just the right amount of sweet and the best part? No baking! That said, if you do decide to broil or bake these babies, they are pretty reminiscent of a Quest bar. Success!

Directions
In a medium bowl, melt the nut butter. Mix in the protein powder, coconut flour, and water. The amount of water used will depend on your other ingredients so add slowly. Mix these ingredients until everything comes together and is slightly sticky. Add in the white chocolate chips and 1 tbsp raspberry preserves.

Line a loaf pan with saran wrap and press the mixture into the pan. Top the mix with a little more raspberry preserves and place in the freezer for about an hour. Remove from the freezer and cut into 6 equal bars. Wrap each bar separately in saran wrap and store in the freezer.

[Dinner]
We can pretend that my dinner looked half as good as the real deal. In reality, I decided to not toss the balls in buffalo, skip the naan, and used cheddar instead of blue cheese. I think it would have turned out better if the falafel had been tossed in buffalo.. or if they were fried. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

Today is going to be a really exciting Tuesday. Not only do I have my usual link love below, but I also have a delicious recipe and giveaway!

A couple weeks ago, I received a sample of Manitoba Harvest’s Hemp Hearts. If you’re not familiar with hemp hearts, they are shelled hemp seeds that are considered a “superfood.” They provide 10g of plant-based protein and 10g of Omegas per 30g serving. With a slightly nutty flavor, they are great on salads, smoothies, ice cream, oatmeal, and more. I’m personally a fan of rolling some protein bites in hemp seeds for a nutty, sweet treat!

Directions
Grind up the Power O’s and mix in a large bowl with the coconut flour, protein powder, Skoop, & granola.

In a smaller bowl, microwave the nut butter and honey to make mixing easier. Pour over the dry mixture, add in the vanilla extract and mix, allowing the nut butter to cool before adding in the chocolate chips. Mix everything except the hemp hearts until incorporated well.

In a small bowl, measure out the hemp hearts and using a 1/2 tbsp measuring spoon, measure out the bites and roll in the hemp hearts. Store in the freezer for quick and easy snackage!

As part of the Peanut Butter & Co. Yum Squad, I was given the opportunity to create a recipe using their peanut butter and a mystery ingredient. That mystery ingredient just so happened to be a staple in my house—Sriracha.

Peanut sauce fits right in with our typical meals around here and I had a recipe on hand I’d been wanting to try. Adding in the sriracha was the right pop of flavor that I knew would be perfect.

Directions
Boil a large pot of water, add the broccoli florets, and cook for about 30 seconds. Drain the broccoli and add the edamame, green onion, peanuts, and coconut flake.

For the spicy peanut sauce, mix the remaining ingredients together, except the sesame seeds. Pour half of the sauce over the broccoli and mix well. Drizzle the rest of the sauce over top of the broccoli and top with sesame seeds.

Feeling a little extra saucy? Drizzle some more sriracha on top! What could be bad?

I received free samples of Cabot Cheese mentioned in this post. By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe challenge sponsored by Cabot Creamery and am eligible to win prizes. I was not additionally compensated for my time.

Superbowl Sunday must be one of the biggest snacking days of the year. All of the chips, dips, wings, pizza, beer, and then some.. it’s amazing to see just how many calories people can consume in a short 4-hour game!

As a part of Recipe ReDux, I took on the challenge of creating a lighter snack for the big game. As I thought about what kind of poppables I love to snack on [whether it’s weird or not..], brussels sprouts came to mind. I could eat a whole tray of roasted brussels right out of the oven without giving it a second thought! And cheesy brussels?Oh yes!

I received a shipment of a variety of Cabot Creamery cheeses but knew that I wanted a bold cheddar to stand up to the flavor of the proscuitto and brussels. Seriously Sharp sounds about right, yes?

Proscuitto-Wrapped Cheesy Brussels Sprouts

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the brussels sprouts with EVOO and black pepper, place sliced side down on a sheet pan and into the oven. Roast the brussels for 15-20 minutes until they begin to crisp. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle.

Turn the oven down to 350°F. Once cooled, place a small slice of cheese on the sprout and wrap with a slice of proscuitto. Place the wrapped brussels onto a baking wrap on top of the sheet pan. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the proscuitto crisps up.

Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven, skewer with a toothpick, and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. If you’d like, add a little more shredded cheese to the top of the brussels sprouts and serve!

A few weeks ago I received an awesome shipment from Adaptogen. They must know me because I didn’t even choose my protein powder flavor and they sent me Chocolate Peanut Butter. How perfect!

I’m always on the lookout for a delicious protein powder that’s good, not only mixed in a smoothie, but simply mixed with water or almond milk too. The name, TastyWHEY, hinted that it would be meeting my requirements and I couldn’t wait to give it a try. Ironically enough, I had an afternoon workout planned that day, as opposed to my normal morning routine, so I scooped it into my new blender bottle immediately after with some coconut almond milk. It was so creamy and tasted like a peanut butter cup! It was nice and smooth too; there’s nothing worse than a gritty protein shake, am I right?

At 160 calories per scoop, this protein powder is a bit higher than what I normally use but the ingredients more than make up for it. TastyWHEY uses a proprietary combination of exceptionally high quality whey protein, along with MCT’s [want to learn more about MCT oil?], low glycemic index carbohydrates, and micronutrients that make the awesome taste that much better. Knowing that what I’m eating or drinking is made from high-quality ingredients has become so much more important to me in the past few years. There’s no doubt that the quality of ingredients has greatly impacted my health and the way I feel on a daily basis.

Back to the taste, though. I couldn’t help but make myself some peanut butter cups. It only seemed appropriate with the flavor I received!

Protein Peanut Butter Cups

Directions
In a small bowl, microwave the coconut oil and maple syrup for 15-20 seconds until liquid. Mix in the protein powder and cocoa powder until smooth. Spoon 1 tsp of the mixture into 3 mini cupcake tins and place in the freezer for 5 minutes until hard.

Once the chocolate mixture has hardened, spoon 1/2 tsp of peanut butter to the center of each cup and cover with the remainder of the chocolate mixture. Place the cups back in the freezer to set. Once set, carefully remove from the cupcake tin with a knife and devour. Or store in the freezer.. your choice 😉

It’s Friday! We made it! I think you deserve a beverage, yes? Yes. Just so happens I have a delicious [and strong!] one up my sleeve.

Tomorrow, Al Capone turns 116 [that old fart!] and Templeton Rye wanted to celebrate it the right way. They kindly sent me a bottle of their delicious spirit and a recipe for disaster a tasty drink. I decided to brew one up of my own, too so you get a 2-for-1 special today!

When prohibition outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920, many enterprising residents of tiny Templeton, Iowa, population 350, came together to create an American classic known as Templeton Rye Whiskey, or “The Good Stuff” to those in the know.

Over the course of its storied history, Templeton Rye became Al Capone’s whiskey of choice, quickly finding its way to the center of his bootlegging empire. Speakeasies in Chicago, New York and as far west as San Francisco poured Templeton Rye as the “Best Whiskey in the House”. Later legends suggest that a few bottles even found their way inside the walls of Alcatraz to the cell of prisoner AZ-85.

Available legally for the first time, the infamous rye whiskey returns. Aged in charred new oak barrels and based on the Prohibition Era Kerkhoff recipe, Templeton Rye provides a smooth finish and a clean getaway.

First up, I’m sharing The Capone; this is the drink created by Templeton Rye for Al’s [we’re on a first name basis over here] big birthday bash!

Citrus Capone

Directions
Mix all of your ingredients together, except the sparkling water. Add 1 large or a few small ice cubes, then fill the rest off the glass with sparkling water. Clink with your neighbor and enjoy!

One thing I love about going out to eat is getting seafood. I rarely cook it at home because Nathan doesn’t eat it so it’s a big treat for me. That said, sometimes I just crave a nice piece of fish at home. That’s where Sizzlefish comes in. A few weeks ago, I was sent a beautiful shipment from Sizzlefish that will surely satisfy all of my seafood dreams!

Aside from being downright delicious, fish has so many important health benefits—one of the biggest being the Omega-3s that it provides. Straight from the Sizzlefish website:

Think of Omega-3 fats as Nature’s best performance enhancers. They give cardio-pulmonary and anti-inflammatory benefits to athletes, while actually improving long-term health. They can help you manage weight.

In addition, Omega-3s can provide great benefits to athletes such as muscle recovery and joint health. But enough about the health benefits, let’s get to the cooking!

Directions
Preheat your oven to 425°F. In a small bowl, mix seasonings from cajun through thyme. Place the brussels sprouts on a baking sheet with a drizzle of EVOO and a sprinkling of the seasoning mix and put the baking sheet on the bottom rack of the oven.

In the meantime, heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add 1 tbsp EVOO. Add the pepper and onion to the skillet and saute 5-10 minutes, or until the onions are soft. While that is cooking, coat the haddock filets in the spice mix and place the filets on another lined baking sheet. Place the fish in the oven.

When the veggies are soft, stir in the garlic, and add 1 tbsp soy sauce. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the brussels sprouts from the oven [try not to eat all of them straight from the sheet pan..] and toss them with the rest of the veggies. At this point, the haddock should be fully cooked through; it only takes about 10 minutes! Spoon a scoop of veggies on a plate, place the fish on top, and spoon a little more of the veggies on top.

Serving Suggestions

I served my portion over spiralized beet noodles and Nathan’s [with chicken] over brown rice. It would also be good over pasta, other veggie noodles, or just on its own. Additionally, you could swap out the haddock for another white, flaky fish like Atlantic Cod, Sablefish, Rainbow Trout, or even shrimp!

Happy New Year week! I don’t know about you, but I have some big plans for this week.

Last week I got sick and it knocked me on my butt for longer than I had expected. It pretty much hit Monday night and I was out of commission for a few days; though that didn’t stop my Christmas plans! It did, however, stop me from hitting the gym. I went Monday after work, but haven’t been back since. I know I needed to rest and not push my body; I know I needed to just let whatever was in my system play out and not stress about getting in a workout. And I’m sure my body was craving a full week of rest.. the last time I took this long off, it was for the honeymoon! So we took time off and we relaxed. A lot.

We made a roaring fire!

We baked some get-better quick chocolate chip cookies[I swear, they worked!] with a side of Goose Island Bourbon County Stout and Ratatouille.. the movie, not the dish 😉

We had a quiet Saturday and a nice lunch out.

And we made a special Sunday morning trip for fresh bread and breakfast. [I need to make some 5-grain porridge!]

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of my rest and relaxation. There was something just so nice about not having to set my alarm each night to make sure I get in my workout before our day’s plans. That said, it’s time to get back on track. But I’m lacking some serious motivation. I have my workout plan in place for the week and my big goal for the week with my diet is to chillax on the extra snacking. I think once I get back into the gym for the first time, I’ll get back into the swing of things, but I’m also hoping I can count on some extra push from all of you! Commit to 30 minutes of fitness each day this week with me, will ya? Let’s start off 2015 on the right foot!

And start your day off on the right foot too; don’t forget to eat breakfast everyday. Need a new oatmeal recipe? This one uses my favorite flavors of the season and is packed with protein and fiber.

Direction
Place a small pot over medium high heat and add the mashed banana, almond milk, water, and spices. Bring to a boil, stir in the oats, and lower the heat to medium low. Allow the oats to cook for a few minutes until they begin to thicken up. Add the egg whites and stir continuously so the whites to set.

When the oats setup to the thickness that you like, about another 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and scoop into a bowl. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy! I topped mine with a sprinkle of sea salt, golden raisins, candied ginger, and coconut flakes.

Don’t forget a successful week also comes from a bit of planning. I like to have a set plan for our dinners, not only to know what’s on the menu each night, but it also helps to save money at the store so we don’t just pick up random items. We also have a bunch of leftovers from last week/weekend cooking so we’ll be taking full advantage of that this week too!

Happy Friday, friends! I hope everyone is able to enjoy a nice 4-day weekend!

We kicked off our Christmas day with our second annual dim sum brunch at Lai Hong Lounge. We figure there’s a reason Jews eat Chinese food on Christmas, but we wanted to one-up it with dim sum and it’s just so darn good! We kept a bunch of faves from last year, too.

BBQ baked pork buns.. these are my fave!

Dry braised green beans are SO good.

Garlic pea shoots.

Pan-fried mixed mushroom bun.

The prettiest Christmas duck I ever did see.

Duck bun all wrapped up!

No trip into Chinatown is complete without a stop at Rogue and a walk by the water.

The Bruery – Seven Swans a Swimming Quad

Such a clear, beautiful [and windy] day!

I’ve been powering through some sort of cold or something this week so I’ve spent a lot of time on the sofa the past couple days. I’ve also done my best to make sure I’m getting my greens and proper fuel to get better fast. I decided to whip up this smoothie on a whim and it was awesome!Chocolate Cherry Protein Green SmoothieIngredients
– 1/2 bottle Cherry Charge Mamma Chia Energy drink
– 1 bottle Chocolate Light Core Power
– 1 scoop Skoop A Game
– 1/2 english cucumber
– 1-2 handfuls spinach
– 4-6 ice cubesBlend it all up and enjoy! It would also be awesome with some frozen cherries in there too.. next time!

We watched The Interview on Wednesday night. I’m not really sure what all of the craziness was about but I’d say if you’re in the mood for a silly, chuckle here and there kind of Seth Rogan movie, go for it. Pretty much what you can expect from him. On the flip side, Gone Girl. Watched that last night; you need to watch it, too. Best movie I’ve seen in a while.

If you are in the bay area, or know anyone in the bay area, looking for a personal trainer, I’m running a special in January. First 1-hour session is $50, normally $80, and if you purchase a package of 10 sessions, you get 10% off. If you’re not in the bay area but still want to train with me, check out my 4-week personalized training package!

I love cookbooks. Especially when they have wonderful pictures to go with the recipes. Although, I guess that’s why I love food blogs so much too, huh? Unfortunately, since my love affair with food blogs and Pinterest has grown, my cookbook collection has grown a bit of dust. This month’s Recipe Redux made me wipe off that dust and flip through so real pages.

It’s the end of the year and we’ll taking a moment to reflect: ReDux has been around for 42 months! (Can you believe some of you have ReDux-ed 42 recipes?) To celebrate, we’re playing a little party game this month: Grab your nearest cookbook and ReDux the recipe on page 42 or 142. We can’t wait to see the books you’re cooking from these days – and how you make that recipe healthier.

I found my way to this bad boy..

There are some really fun recipes in there, like cashew energy quinoa bites, that I will definitely be trying soon. In the meantime, I was quite pleased when I flipped to page 142.

Even in California, it’s been getting a little chilly lately so I couldn’t wait to make a nice, creamy soup. I had also just picked up a Butterkin Squash from Trader Joe’s that I wanted to break into. Side note: I was telling my mom it tastes like a combo of butternut squash and pumpkin.. and subsequently figured out the name, Butterkin. Genius! She and Nathan were both laughing at me. Anywho, into the pot it went!

Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Cut your squash in half, scoop out the seeds, drizzle with 1 tbsp EVOO and place in the oven. Roast until you can easily scoop the flesh out; about 30 minutes.

Heat a large pot over medium heat and drizzle with the remaining tbsp EVOO. Add in the diced onion and cook 5-7 minutes until translucent. Sprinkle in the red pepper flake and cook another minute until it becomes fragrant. Add in the diced sweet potato, beet, and 3 cups of chicken stock. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until the sweet potato and beet are tender.

At the point, the squash should be ready to come out of the oven and cool. After the squash has cooled for a couple of minutes, scoop the flesh out and add it to the pot in addition to the quinoa flakes and nutmeg. Using an immersion blender [a regular blender would work as well, in a few batches], blend until the soup is smooth and creamy. If needed, add the 4th cup of chicken stock, but remember you’re also adding beer at the end!

Add salt and pepper to taste and pour in the beer, stirring slowly to incorporate. Scoop out a big bowl and enjoy!